It often takes a year or two before a nestbox is used, so don’t panic if there aren’t birds nesting in it straight away. If you’ve picked a good location for it then you’re better off leaving it where it is rather than moving it around from year to year. The longer it is in one place, the more the birds get used to it and are more likely to use it down the line. If it hasn’t been used after two years, then it might be worth changing location. Never move a nestbox during the breeding season (start of March to end of September) as there might be birds using it without you realising it!

During the cold winter months, many garden bird species will use nestboxes as somewhere to roost and shelter for the night, so it’s worth leaving your box out all year round.